£10.00

Cover to mark the 60th Anniversary of this daring daylight raid on the MAN Factory at Augsburg, which was supplying the diesel engines for the German U-boat fleet. The cover artwork shows the Waddington based No 44 Squadron Lancaster R5508, 'KM-B' which Squadron Leader John Nettleton flew on the raid and whose courage and devotion to duty won him the Victoria Cross, the scene below shows the Lancaster L7573, 'OF-K' being 'bombed up' at Woodhall Spa with the four 1,000 lb high explosives, on the raid this aircraft was flown by Squadron Leader J.S. Sherwood DFC, who having led the 97 squadron contingent and bombed the factory was shot down moments later.

The raid called for the bravest of aircrew as the target was over 1,000 miles from England and to make matters worse the raid was to take place in broad daylight with no fighter escort, flying at less than 250ft in order to avoid enemy radar. Despite a diversionary raid to draw the German fighters away from the intended target and route, the six 44 Squadron Lancasters were savaged by Bf 109s and FW 190s returning home to their airfield. Only two of No 44 Squadron's Lancasters made it to the target and only Nettleton's aircraft made it back across the channel. The No 97 Squadron Lancasters all made it to the target, but two were shot down over the target. In all seven of the twelve Lancasters that took part failed to return and 49 out of the 85 airmen who took part were posted as 'missing' - however they had succeeded in causing severe disruption at the factory.

The cover bears a definitive stamp cancelled with BFPS postmark dated the 17 April 2002, which shows Lancaster 'KM-B' and commemorates both the 60th Anniversary of the raid and also the award of the Victoria Cross to Nettleton.

Furthermore the covers have been flown in Lancaster PA474 of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which was formerly painted in the markings of 'KM-B'. The reverse of the cover bears an illustration of the Victoria Cross and a brief write up on the raid, along with the flight details, while inside the covers there are two detailed inserts.

Ron Curtis trained as a Navigator and as a Flying Officer joined No 144 Squadron on Hampdens before being posted to No 44 Squadron in April 1942 to replace one fo the Lancaster crews lost on the Ausburg raid. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in November 1942 having completing 30 operations with No 44 Squadron and was posted as a Gee Instructor. He then later went on to join No 109 Squadron PFF which was part of the Pathfinder Force and completed a further 104 operations on Mosquito aircraft. He flew some on some of the most daring raids of WWII bombing and pin-pointing targets with great accuracy including gun postions on the D-Day beaches and also flying OBOE missions in both Mosquito and Lancaster aircraft. Even more remarkable is that he flew all 104 missions with No 109 Squadron with the same pilot, Squadron Leader John Burt DSO DFC*.